The La Crosse Tribune from La Crosse, Wisconsin • 15

Friday, August 25, 2006 B7 www lacrossetribune com Business EARNINGS i v.m ii m.i 'ir i Mon Active in Mon Active in ui Most Acnvi tti Apple recalls 1.8 million Son) batteries in laptops; stock rises Apple stock rises SAN I HANC1SCO (AP) ilays after Dell's record history of the U.S. Consumer J'roduct Safety Commission. Apple Computor Inc.s stock price rose 50 cents Thursday, despite its recall of 1 8 million Sony built notebook battories. Apple Computer $90 per share 85 80 1 75 70 65 60 55 50 JFMAMJ JA Sony Energy Devices Corp. said the Dell and Apple batteries were configured in slightly different ways.

In a statement, Sony said the pioblems arise on rare occasions" when microscopic metal particles hit other parts of the battery cell and lead to a short clicuit. Sony said the recalls will cost it between $172 million and $278 million. Apple spokesman Steve Dowling said its recall was not expected to materially affect the companys results. Dell has said the recall wont affect earnings. Spokespeople at other large computer makers, including Hewlett-Packard Gateway Inc.

and Lenovo Croup, the Chinese computer maker that bought IBM's PC business, said Thursday they did not expect to have problems with their batteries. Ten -setting notebook battery recall, Apple Computer Inc. told its customers hursday to return 1.8 million batteries that could cause their Mac laptops to ovetlieat and catch fire. Both recalls involve lithium-ion batteries made by a Sony Corp, subsidiary in Japan, where the manufacturing process introduced metal particles into battery cells. Makers of battery cells strive to minimize or eliminate the presence of such particles, which can cause computers to short circuit, or, in extreme situations, catch fire.

In its recall announcement, Apple said it has received nine reports of lithium-ion battery packs overheating, including two cases in which users suffered minor hums and some involving minor property damage. The Apple recall only AP SOURCE. Telerate 62 Wwk High tow Name applies to older notebooks not the just-released NlacBooks and MacBook Pros. On Aug. 14, Dell Inc.

recalled 4.1 million faulty laptop batteries the largest involving electronics in the Dow JOS induWriil Dow Jones Transportation Dow Jones Ubatot NYSC Compost Arne Nasddq Composite SAP 600 Russos 2000 Witstwe 6000 10 166 46 3 660 65 378 95 7 14 1 665 00 2 012 78 1 168 20 614 76 11,630 20 II 670 '9 601367 44? 14 8 681 74 2046 66 2 376 64 1 70 764 62 13 4 72 98 Stocks LocaT I I PE Last Name lilt Dh rro ChO Chg -00 62 2 Nam 1 33 72 26 1 16 401 100! 26 no -3 4 1 22 -35 0 -42 7 8 64 -154 17 1 -124 24 7 -151 -31 -71 -14 5 -95 -12 4 05 -60 12 1 7 4 11.2 71 19 51 09 29 16 -1 17 -12 1 61 98 -25 -22 -68 -24 -2 55 20 -06 30 14 13 15 7938 12 12 15 15 24 00 18 32 48 15 46 31 16 35 88 9 21 56 14 65 09 23 16 56 19 14401 20 27 57 13 26 29 12 24 48 16 46 99 16 70 10 14 38 35 13 32 43 17 43 70 15 35 21 15 41 94 IS 20 52 120 72 1 391 1 08 671 72 72 79 661 92 481 1 64 36 1 32 67 1 121 92 89 ifcW laCfosa leeEni MCjE Marsh HS Me On KIS NashF Ponnoy SaraLee SearsHWgs Supvalu ICF Fncl TRWAulO Target 3M Co Toro Co US Bancrp WaiMafl WefisFgo 8 WiscEn XceiEngy 2 79 18 30 47 17 4027 22 32 80 13 31 65 16 23 92 19 45 69 14 65 20 18 19 27 13 39 27 23 23 35 1 32 20 23 28 18 05 16 35 22 36 14 22 29 35 59 10 14 75 16 66 00 16 26 52 19 36 43 APACC ATATlnc Ambland Aramark Asscdbanc BenchElwi Br'SBoy BuriNbF Catieias Cntry Tel Cendtan ChartCm ConAgra Crown Hold Da Jen Daves Fastonai Hampsnr HarievO HmFdiN Hormel 24 4 8 181 -2 8 67 5 1 -7 9 16 1 164 -60 82 14 7 -7 6 -9 4 26 2 -9 0 -38 0 126 81 11 5 -01 -40 17 05 10 -67 -69 -39 19 -25 -03 4 19 -03 27 -36 -38 48 07 -58 -1 56 By The Associated Press and Tribune staff MINNESOTA Toro reports increase in third-quarter profits HI DOMING I ON Toro which has a plant in lomah, said Thursday strong sales in its commercial segment drove a 17 percent jump in fiscal third-quarter piofil. For tiie three months ended Aug. 4, earnings grew to $10.3 million, or 91 cents per share, from $31.4 million, or 74 cents per share, in the year-earlier period. Analysts surveyed by Thomson linandal forecast earnings of 87 cents per share. Sales rose 2 percent to $177.9 million from $466.9 million a year ago.

he company said growth in global professional segment sales and earnings offset slight declines in its domestic residential business. Toro, which makes heavy-duty mowers for commercial use on golf courses and oilier models for residential use, said professional segment stiles grew 5.7 percent to $319.7 million, while residential sales slipped 2.2 percent to $145.3 million. Toro cut its forecast for 2006 sales growth from 8 percent to a range of 3 to 5 percent but lifted the low end of its projected earnings growth from 14 percent to a range of 15 percent to 17 percent. MINNESOTA Hormel 3Q profit rises 15 percent AUSTIN Hormel Foods parent company of Century Foods International in Sparta. said Thursday that fiscal third-quarter earnings rose 15 percent and raised the lower end of its earnings guidance for the year.

Hormel said net income for the three months ended July 30 was $59.6 million, or 43 cents per share, up from $51.8 million, or 38 cents per share, during the same period last year. Revenue rose almost 4 percent to $1.41 billion from $1.36 billion a year ago. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial expected earnings of 42 cents per share on revenue of $1.41 billion. The company said it expects to earn $1.98 to $2.04 per share for the full year, raising the low end of the range from a previous bottom of $1.94. It expects to earn 57 cents to 63 cents per share during its fiscal fourth quarter.

We expect to finish out the year strongly, said Hormel President and Chief Executive Jeffrey M. Ettinger. Analysts expect fourth-quarter earnings of 60 cents per share and fiscal full-year earnings of $2.01 per share. Hormel shares dropped $1.56, or 4.1 percent, to close at $36.43 on the New York Stock Exchange. 72 40 40 64t 80 66 BRIEFLY quarter.

In the past seven quarters, 500 companies have spent $630 billion on buybacks. Fox 2548 announce newscast anchors WLAX-TV Fox Channel 25 in La Crosse and sister station WEUX-TV Fox Channel 48 in Eau Claire, have announced anchors for their 9 p.m. daily live news broadcasts that will start Monday, Aug. 28. Chris Herzog will be the main news anchor, while Paige Pearson will be sports anchor, Shaun Verbout will be meteorologist and Sean Towle will he general assignment reporter.

All four have been on the staff of VVEAU-TV Channel 13 in Eau Claire. The new 30-minute broadcasts are a partnership between WLAXWEUX Television, owned by Grant Broadcasting Systems and station WEAU-TV, owned by Gray Television Group Inc. The WLAX WEUX-TV news set is at the WEAU-TV studio, but the news staffs will be separate, said Bob Weinstein, general manager of WLAXWEUX-TV. sm, i pt i mmm The Associated Press WASHINGTON New home sales fall; inventory hits record Sales of new homes dropped i July by the largest amount nee February while the inven-iry of unsold homes climbed i a record high. Piling on more proof that the ousing boom is over, the ommerce Department report-i Thursday that new home lies fell by 4.3 percent last lonth to a seasonally adjusted nnual sales pace of 1.072 mil-on units.

The decline was the irgest since an 11.5 percent lunge in February. Sales of both new and exist-lg homes set records for five onsecutive years as the hous-ig industry enjoyed a boom owered by the lowest mortage rates in four decades. But ites have been steadily rising lis year as the Federal Reserve ghtens credit conditions as a 'ay to slow the economy and eep inflation under control. PENNSYLVANIA Rite Aid buys Canadian company HARRISBURG In a bold tep to keep pace with the idustry leaders, the nations aird-largest drugstore chain, ite Aid said Thursday it dll purchase the U.S. Eckerd nd Brooks operations of lanadas Jean Coutu Group Inc.

ir about $2.55 billion in cash nd stock. Rite Aids first major acquisi-on since a turnaround team rrived to bring the company ack from the brink of bank-uptcy six years ago was esigned to help it compete etter with its bigger rivals Walgreen and CVS. PHILADELPHIA Company buys own stock at record pace Big companies bought back record $116 billion worth of hares in the second quarter, ccording to a Standard 'oors report. The ratings and financial esearch firm said over 40 per-ent of the 500 companies educed their shares outstand-ng with buybacks in the quar-er. The previous buyback ecord was $104 billion, set in he fourth quarter of 2005.

Howard Silverbiatt, enior index analyst, said buy-lacks have given a "significant oost to earnings per share for iver 20 percent of companies n-the 500 in the second THE BOARD STORE 526 Copeland Avenue rmnsBtmW 4) paw) tifrtrMrrtluMteiffiD 'imnxmitEHW ifcMttifimiu ii i i i i 1 1 1 1 1 CBUffiS Jflt: VYSf- rn- jpiBswnrssp- I -i. I .1 I 4 The Board Store Furniture 516-528 Copeland Avenue, La Crosse, Wl 782.8877 1 .800.944.7655.